OpenStax Welcomes 16 New Colleges and Universities to Its Institutional Partner Program

Rice University's OpenStax initiative has welcomed the largest cohort of colleges and universities to its Institutional Partner Program (IPP) since its founding in 2015. Sixteen new institutions have joined the program to give their students free or low-cost access to textbooks and other educational materials.

The organization said it has over 60 titles of open educational resources in its library and will be adding 15 more in 2024.

"This year's cohort is our largest ever — it's inspiring to see so many different types of institutions coming together to nurture OER initiatives and make learning easier and more affordable for their students," said Anthony Palmiotto, director of higher education for OpenStax.

The new members of the IPP are Adrian College, Barry University, Chattahoochee Technical College-Mountain View, Clinton College, Coker University, Collin College-Plano, University of Arkansas-Cossatot Community College, Georgia State University, Meredith College, Motlow State Community College, Pace University-Pleasantville, Southwest Texas Junior College, Texas A&M University-Commerce, University of San Diego, University of South Carolina-Beaufort, and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

The OpenStax IPP has supported more than 80 colleges and universities since its inception, the organization said, and has saved students $2.9 billion. The program puts "customizable, high-quality, peer-reviewed and openly licensed materials into the hands of instructors and learners" for free online or at a low cost in print.

To learn more about how it works, visit OpenStax's About page.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

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